


Fruit by the Foot

by Legs (InsanityRule)



Series: Nelson Belson's Declassified Junk Food Survival Guide [2]
Category: Silicon Valley (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-27
Updated: 2015-06-27
Packaged: 2018-04-06 10:10:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4217643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InsanityRule/pseuds/Legs
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nelson's been getting a lot of help and he's super grateful, and after Gavin literally saves his job, well maybe saves his job, he makes it up to him with dinner.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fruit by the Foot

“Seriously Richard, you had the right idea not fighting the whole, you’re not a CEO thing anymore.” A CEO thing? God he feels like he hasn’t slept in years. Is this how Richard felt all the time? “I don’t know how you did it for as long as you did.”

“Well, you know, wanting my algorithm used properly was pretty important.” Richard sags deeper into the couch and eats more of the Gushers Nelson offered him when he revealed his firing. Gushers honestly fix all life’s problems. Or any other snack food really. He’s been craving those Fruit by the Foot things again. “But uh… it’s going okay I guess. Monica’s a good interim CEO and… and I have more free time.”

“It’s like we switched places.” He rubs his face. “Say, want to switch back? I really need a break or something.”

“You’ve been a CEO for a month.”

Crap really? It feels like it’s been longer. “Well there were two audits and I had to sign at least… thirty,” closer to one hundred, “different contracts and shit. Without Gavin it would’ve been a disaster.” Why does Richard look so confused? “Oh, Gavin Belson.”

“No I… what? He was fired. You… you have his job, his office.”

“I know man but… well he has all the know-how and I panicked. I called him and he showed up and he sorted out all the shit on my desk.” Nelson sits back and lets his head hang over the back of the chair. “He didn’t even ask for money or anything.”

“But it’s Gavin Belson. You… you of all people know what he’s done.”

Accidentally got me a CEO job at one of the biggest tech companies in Silicon Valley? Made me rich and famous? Made everyone think I’m super humble and modest? “He’s not so bad really.”

“I can’t believe you’re saying this.”

“Yeah well,” he shrugs, knowing he won’t get Richard on his side for this, “say I had a work question but um… I kind of wanted to keep in on the down low?”

“Um… okay?”

“So um… remember how Nucleus is a pile of dog shit?” Richard nods. Good, good they’re on the same page. “So uh… I know this is weird but… can I buy your algorithm?”

“Um what?”

Crap, no more same page.

“It’s… we’d give a fair price. I’m not trying to take it from you dude but… seriously now all of a sudden this thing is my problem and… well I wanted to ask you because if I mention this to even one person on the board they’re going to try and run with it.”

That’s what Gavin said to do right? Make it Richard’s choice? Now he can ignore it or go to Monica or Raviga or whatever if he wants, or ignore it if he doesn’t.

“Well um… Bighead-”

“Um… I’m actually going by Nelson now? Sorry, sorry that’s not the issue but… Nelson. More professional I guess.”

And he still likes that rhyme but people keep looking at him weird whenever he mentions Gavin Belson so he keeps it to himself. But whenever things start looking rough he’s really glad for the luck. And that Gavin lets him keep calling. God now he’s smiling like an idiot probably. Yeah, yeah he is.

What the hell is he doing?

“Well it’s a lot to… to think over N… I can’t call you Nelson Bighead I’ve never done it.”

“That’s okay.” But he thinks he’s actually starting to like his name now. But Richard is his best friend so one exception is fine.

“Okay well, that’s… I’ll need some time to think about that Bighead.”

“Hey I get it. It’s still Hooli.”

“Will… could you get fired if it doesn’t work?”

“Gosh I hope not. But it wasn’t my project so maybe I’m safe.”

He knows he’s safe the board knows he’s just cleaning up the mess. But what if he can clean up the mess without scrapping the project?

He’s starting to think that lawyer was right. Maybe he is just too modest.

“Well let me know what you decide Richard.”

Yeah, just too modest.

\--

What the fuck was he thinking?

He doesn’t know the first thing about speeches and now he’s giving one? Tomorrow? In front of the entire company?

He is so screwed.

Honestly this is what probably ruins careers. Sure they hired Pied Piper - and he is so thankful for Richard really because they did so good he’s so glad - and yeah he managed to save Nucleus without stepping all over his best friend. And they’re both just fucking balling he never thought he’d do this well in California. But he cannot give speeches. It’s just a physical impossibility.

And he doesn’t know how to write speeches.

Honestly it’s just like that stupid Spongebob episode with the stupidly fancy ‘the’ and nothing else written on the entire stupid paper. He’s just going to get up there, fear gag a few times, probably start crying or something equally as embarrassing. Then he’ll just quietly pack up his belongings and move back into his parent’s house. Or buy a house somewhere in the mountains, set up WiFi, and never leave his home again.

He starts stress eating some Fruit by the Foot while he tries to Google good speech writing techniques on his computer. It’s not going well.

“Hey um… I know I told you I wouldn’t call that much but I really need your help.”

\--

He’s going to have to set up a more permanent pass for Gavin. He ran out of small talk after about the third time Gavin agreed to come in and help and now Nelson just stands there awkwardly while they both know who he’s waiting for.

But he’s really starting to like these help sessions.

Gavin’s actually been pretty nice to him after that first ‘he cried under his desk’ thing happened. He still calls Nelson an idiot, he probably deserves that, but it’s not near as nasty as he could be so that’s pretty cool.

They’re sitting outside his office and Gavin is looking over the start of his speech. “You said you had some ideas written.”

“Well they’re still kind of rough but I think I have some solid ideas.”

“This says ‘something inspirational’ and something about six feet of fruit.”

“Fruit by the Foot. I ran out.” He ate a whole box but that’s not important. “I guess that one’s more like a grocery list.”

“You do know this is the capstone meeting, right? The one that introduces you to every single employee, showcases your talents, that sort of thing? Or were you too busy eating candy.”

Well that’s kind of a rude assump- he’s right. All he’s been doing is eating and hoping the words would fall out of his head.

“Well did you write all your speeches?”

“Yes.” He was kind of hoping Gavin would tell him he always had writers or something. Or maybe that he made it up on the spot. “And usually I have more than this when the speech is in,” he checks his watch, “two hours.”

“Well fuck. Please, you gotta help me write this. I have to sound like I know what I’m doing. Please. I’ll, I don’t know I’ll pay for dinner or something. We can go to some fancy place. Just please, make me sound like I’m not an idiot.”

\--

He’s trying to Google which fork to use at the restaurant but it’s not working at all and there’s no wifi and one of these days he should actually learn how to eat like an adult.

“So it went well?”

“Oh yeah, totally. They loved that line with the osmosis or whatever it was.” He’s going to send Richard a gift basket or something because he saved his ass big time. “Really clever. Thanks, really. I know you don’t have to do any of this but… it’s been a huge help.”

“No, it’s nothing you couldn’t handle.” God he’s even lying to be nice to him what the hell is going on? “Those peons will absorb your words no matter what they are as long as you say them eloquently.”

Well that’s kind of disappointing. “So I didn’t sound smart?”

“How should I know? I wasn’t in the audience.”

Nelson knows that. It was employees only.

Then why does he feel so disappointed?

\--

“Thanks for helping, again. And for pronouncing the wine because there was no way I was going to say that right.”

Gavin nods and he’s actually smiling, which Nelson has never seen before and it’s kind of nice. But now there’s this super long awkward pause and he feels like he should say something. Maybe thank you again? No he’s said it at least twenty times he’s probably beaten that dead horse back to life. Well maybe he should mention the idea he had about paying Gavin for his help, like with more dinners or maybe a consultant’s fee or something like that. He’s sure he could make something up and the accountants would be fine with it. Yeah, he should just go with that.

Or he could try to not freak out right now because did Gavin just kiss him what is happening? And he doesn’t even look freaked out so maybe he should have expected this? Or he’s messing with him? No, no he wouldn’t do that after helping so much.

Is Gavin attracted to him?

Fuck does he like Gavin?

“Um I uh… I have an XBox.”

Was that his way of sexily inviting someone up into his bedroom? In what world does that ever get someone laid instead of laughed at?

Well apparently it works in this one so he’s not going to complain.

\--

He wakes up alone but he can smell food and he doesn’t remember ever hiring a chef. Nelson rolls onto his back so he’s in the middle of the bed and drags the sheet with him so he’s wrapped up because he’s a bit cold and not for modesty’s sake.

Nelson’s pretty sure it’s usually the host that makes the awkward morning breakfast after spending the night with someone but here’s Gavin making what smells like eggs and apparently already showered. How long did he sleep?

Oh, it’s almost eleven. Probably too long.

“Oh, you’re awake already. I made some egg white omelettes.”

Is this his life now? Not going to lie it’s kind of awesome.

\--

“You’re going to what now?”

Richard’s looking less than enthusiastic but hey this is his company and his decision. And if that decision is to appoint Gavin as an official adviser to Hooli then that’s the end of that argument.

And if he’s also dating his adviser-to-be well then it’s just more time to be advised right?

"No see, you don't get it Richard. He'll be my adviser but I still have the final say in the company. And sure, sometimes his ideas are better than mine... most of his ideas are better than mine, but I'm still in charge here. I am the CEO."

"CEO of what? Sucking his dic- oh... oh bad mental picture fuck." Richard looks like he’s going to be sick. This is probably the best day of Nelson’s life.


End file.
